Blast-furnace top



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. KENNEDY & J. SCOTT.

I BLAST FURNACE TOP. No. 365,077. PatentedJun'e 21, 1887.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. KENNEDY & J. SCOTT.

BLAST FURNACE TOP.

No. 365,077. Patented June 21, 1887 illlllllill g" ME ESSEE hut- E S- N. PETERS PhmoLlkhugnphnr. Wishingkm D. C.

ilNiTn TATES \VALTER KENNEDY AND JAMES SCOTT, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

BLAST-FU RNACE TOP.

SPE CIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 365,077, dated June 21, 1887.

Application filed August 30, 1886. Serial No. M2166. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern;

Be it known that we, WALTER KENNEDY and J AMEs Score of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Blast-Furnace Tops; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

Various constructions of feeding devices for blast-furnaces have been devised to accomplish the uniform distribution-of the stock as it is fed into the furnace. The form of furnace-top in general use has a hopper-shaped feed-opening, closed at the lower end by a cone-shaped bell suspended in its mouth from above. The stock is usually emptied from barrows into the hopper at one side and then distributed evenly around the hell by workmen, after which the bell is lowered and the stock permitted to slide d own into the furnace, being distributed by the spreading sides of the bell. The labor attending this operation, however, is severe, and the feeding and distributing of the stock require the presence of several men at the top of the furnace. To obviate this, it has been proposed to run the barrow out over the mouth and empty the stock directly down on the apex of the bell, and also to arrange a second hopper above the bell, which, when the stock is emptied into it, will direct it down upon the apex of the bell. The effort now is to get rid of the top men and to feed the furnace automatically from the ground. To accomplish this, a ski phoist is used in connection with the last-named construction. This hoist consists of a car or barrow elevated by machinery to a point above the said upper hopper, and there caused to tip and discharge its contents into such hopper, whence it slides down into the lower hopper. The even distribution of the stock is very necessary to the proper use of this system of feeding, and we have found that the tendency of the stock is to strike against the apex of the bell and collect in greater quantity at the feed side, so that when the bell is dropped an accumulation of stock at one side of the furnace results, with a corrcspoluling paucity at the other, which produces an irregularity in the operation of the furnace.

Our invention is designed to overcome this difficulty, and we accomplish this end by the hereinafter described construction, whereby weaccumulate a chargein the upperhopper and then let it fall directly 011 the apex of the bell,

so that it is evenly distributed in the lower hopper around the bell.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use our improvement, we will now describe it by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section of the top of a blast-furnace provided with our improvement, only so much of the-top rigging as is necessary to an understanding of the same being shown. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged section of the upper hopper.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each.

The furnace a is of the usual construction, having a metal casting, 7), around the mouth, the usual hopper, 0, supported in the mouth, and the usual bell, d, closing the hopper. Fastcned to the casting bis an inclined tight circular metallic shell, 6, which extends above the top and supports the upper hopper, The lower part of the hopper g is composed of four or more hinged doors or segments, 9, which, where they meet at the center, are cut out, so as to form a hole, 71, for the passage of the rod 2', by which the hell (I is suspended in the furnace. The inner ends of the segments 5 are supported by chains k, which hang from a common rod, 121., connected with the pivoted lover a. The other end of the lover a 1s con nected with the piston-rod 0 of the steam-cylinder p, or to a lover or other equivalent oper ating device, whereby the lover a may be rocked or moved to raise or lower the seg ments g at pleasure, either from the f urnacetop or from the ground or any other desired place. The hell (I is operated by the rod '17, lever r,counter-balance s, and cylinder 1, or by other usual means. The shell 0 is provided with doors f back of the segmental doors 9, by which access may be had to the hopper-chain her I) when necessary.

Thus constructed, the operation of our improvement is as follows, viz: The segments 9 being in the closed position, as in Fig. 1, the stock is emptied into the hopper from the barrow of the skip-hoist or other feeding device, and then, when the hopper has received the ICC proper amount, the doors are permitted to 7 fall, which causes the load to drop centrally on the cone d of the bell, and thereby be distributed equally in the chamber b around'the bell. The segments are then raised and the operation is repeated until the desired quantity of material is collected in the chamber 1). Then the bell d is dropped,"and the material drops into the furnace uniformly on all sides and the bell is raised to place. This construction not only acts to secure the uniform feeding of the furnace, but also as a perfect gas-seal, because the chamber b is tight, and the doors 9 are closed when the bell d is open and the bell d is closed when the doors g are open, so that there is no time, when the top is open, to permit the escape of gas, and consequently no heat is wasted at the top, and the irregular action of, the blast-heating stoves, due to periodical escaping of gas at the top, is avoided. In case for any cause the furnace should bank up on one side, it can be cured by preventing the segmentor segments on that sidefrom swinging fully open, by putting a prop or stop, 00, back of it for that purpose, as will be understood and is shown at 12, 'Fig. 1. This causes the stock on that side to be shot over to the other side of the bell d, and to collect there in greater quantity, so that when discharged into the furnace more of the charge will fall on the deficient side than on the banked-up side. In this way our improvement can be utilized to cure irregularities in the operation of the furnace.

Our improvement adds but little to the cost of the top, and is simple and efficient in its operation. We have it now in successful practical operation.

Although we have described certain devices for operating the hoppers, we do not desire to limit ourselves to these exactmeans by the use of the word devices in the claims, as other known mechaniml means may be substituted therefor.

\Ve are aware that hoppers having hinged sections have been used in coke and other ovens, and we do not desire to claim such hoppers, broadly.

What we claim as our invention; and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a blast furnace, the combination of a feed-hopper, an upper hopper composed of hinged sections, so as to discharge its contents into the lower hopper, and devices, substantially as described, for discharging the hop pers, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In ablast-furnace, the combination of a feed-hopper, an upper hopper composed of hinged sections, so as to discharge its contents into the lower hopper, devices, substantially as described, for discharging the hoppers, and a stop to limit the movement of one or more of the hinged sections, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 20th day of August, A. D. 1886.

WALTER KENNEDY. JAMES SCOTT. \Vitnesses:

W. B. GoRwIN, H. L. GILL. 

